Various telemetry techniques have been developed to facilitate transmission of information between an implantable medical device and an external programming unit. A typical programming unit is understood in the art to constitute a sophisticated and expensive system that provides for the downlinking and uplinking of electromagnetic signal information between an implantable medical device and the programming unit. Although such a conventional telemetry approach has been well received and provides for excellent data rates, it is appreciated in the industry that the high cost and complexity of a typical programming unit often precludes use of such systems in certain applications.
For many patients provided with an implantable medical device, continuous and/or follow-up monitoring is considered by many clinicians as necessary to the process of fully evaluating the condition and progress of the patient. A conventional monitoring approach that employs a programming unit typically requires the patient to travel from home to a physician's office or a health care clinic. It can be appreciated that patients requiring such monitoring are typically incapacitated to some degree, and traveling to a distant health facility often represents a sizeable undertaking.
A patient who is provided with an implantable medical device designed to communicate with a programming unit or other communication system interface (e.g., modem) is often limited in terms of freedom of movement, particularly during periods of evaluation and diagnosis. The inherent inconvenience associated with conventional implantable medical device monitoring techniques may dissuade patients from participating in needed medical evaluations.
There is a need for improved ways of obtaining telemetry data from an implantable medical device that are lower in cost, simple to use, and provide for increased freedom of patient movement as compared to conventional telemetry approaches. The present invention fulfills these and other needs.